MATTAPOISETT — Former Mattapoisett firefighter Phil Mello was walking in the woods off Prospect Road one day in the early 1970s when he came across a broken hose cart.

He and fellow firefighter David Peterson made attempts to restore the antique cart, but the project sat unfinished for a half-century, according to the Mattapoisett Fire Department.

Around 50 years later, the same cart has been refurbished and is now on display at the Mattapoisett Fire Station on County Road.

According to the department, firefighters Justin Dubois, Silas Costa and Nick Nelson learned about the cart in June 2023 and have been putting it back together since. Upon finishing, they returned the cart to the fire station as a gift to Fire Chief Andrew Murray and the community.

This exact cart first came to Mattapoisett in 1886 after it was included in the $500 purchase of a steam pumper from the New Bedford Fire Department. It was used until 1927 when the town purchased its first motorized fire apparatus.

According to the Mattapoisett Fire Department, the hose cart was made in Boston by William Hunneman, who was the apprentice to Paul Revere.

“Hopefully this hose cart will now be an attraction to anyone and everyone who visits the station,” wrote the Mattapoisett Fire Department.